[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




WELCOMING THE PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT 
                         TO THE UNITED STATES.

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to consideration of S. Res. 196, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 196) welcoming the Prime Minister of 
     Singapore on the occasion of his visit to the United States, 
     expressing gratitude to the Government of Singapore for its 
     strong cooperation with the United States in the campaign 
     against terrorism, and reaffirming the commitment of the 
     United States to the continued expansion of friendship and 
     cooperation between the United States and Singapore.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 196) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 196

       Whereas Singapore is a great friend of the United States;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore share a common 
     vision of promoting peace, stability, security, and 
     prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region;
       Whereas Singapore is a member of the Proliferation Security 
     Initiative, an initiative launched by the United States in 
     2003 to respond to the challenges posed by the proliferation 
     of weapons of mass destruction, and a committed partner of 
     the United States in preventing the spread of weapons of mass 
     destruction;
       Whereas Singapore is a leader in the Radiation Detection 
     Initiative, an effort by the United States to develop 
     technology to safeguard maritime security by detecting 
     trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material;
       Whereas Singapore will soon be a partner to the United 
     States in the Strategic Framework Agreement for Closer 
     Cooperation in Defense and Security, an agreement which will 
     build upon the already strong military relations between the 
     United States and Singapore and expand the scope of defense 
     and security cooperation between the 2 countries;
       Whereas Singapore responded quickly to provide generous 
     humanitarian relief and financial assistance to the people 
     affected by the tragic tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in 
     December 2004;
       Whereas Singapore has joined the United States in the 
     global struggle against terrorism, providing intelligence and 
     offering political and diplomatic support;
       Whereas Singapore is the 15th largest trading partner of 
     the United States and the first free trade partner of the 
     United States in the Asia-Pacific region, and the United 
     States is the second largest trading partner of Singapore;
       Whereas the relationship between the United States and 
     Singapore extends beyond the current campaign against 
     terrorism and is reinforced by strong ties of culture, 
     commerce, and scientific and technical cooperation; and
       Whereas the relationship between the United States and 
     Singapore encompasses almost every field of international 
     cooperation, including a common commitment to fostering a 
     stronger and more open international trading system: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) welcomes the Prime Minister of Singapore, His 
     Excellency Lee Hsien Loong, to the United States;
       (2) expresses profound gratitude to the Government of 
     Singapore for promoting security and prosperity in Southeast 
     Asia and cooperating with the United States in the global 
     campaign against terrorism; and
       (3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     continue strengthening the friendship and cooperation between 
     the United States and Singapore.

                          ____________________